


Fox Rain

by 7coloredTokebi



Category: THE iDOLM@STER
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Anime: The iDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls, Deresute Femslash Week, F/F, Femslash, Yuri
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:26:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27973041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/7coloredTokebi/pseuds/7coloredTokebi
Summary: On her way to deliver herbs and medicine to a village, Yumi gets caught in a rainstorm while travelling through the forest. When she takes shelter at an abandoned shrine, she meets a curious, even friendly, fox spirit.
Relationships: Aiba Yumi/Shiomi Shuuko, Aiba Yumi/Shiomi Syuko
Kudos: 1





	Fox Rain

**Author's Note:**

> for Deresute Femslash Week 2020 on Twitter -- Prompt: Fantasy AU

The sound of rain hitting the wooden roof echoed in Yumi’s ear. She pulled down her hood. What rotten luck to get caught in a rainstorm. At least no one in town needed anything urgent, but who knows how long she’d be stuck here.. She leaned her staff against the wall of the building and dug into her pockets for a coin. If she was going to squat at an abandoned shrine, she should at least give the gods something for their troubles. Though, from its humble size, Yumi guessed this was more likely the home of a mischievous spirit than a full-blown forest god or even a local guardian. 

There was an offering of snacks and tea next to a jar filled halfway with coins. Yumi took off her cloak, wringing out the water. She offered what spare change she could find and a chunk of cheese from her lunch. After a moment’s prayer, she added an extra gold piece to the offering and dusted herself off. There was no way she would be able to dry herself off or stay warm if she was outside. Yumi hoped that the gods in this area were as forgiving as had been rumored.

Despite its age, the door slid open easily. Yumi closed it behind her and used her staff to light up the single, tatami-lined room. It was just big enough to fit a small group of people, with a single low writing desk in the center and a stack of dust covered cushions in the corner. Lined up against the back of the room was a golden statue of a fox, it’s eyes made of striking red jewels and a crystal ball tight within its open jaws. 

To be honest, it gave Yumi the creeps, but beggars can’t be choosers.

She opened the door again and shook out her cloak as best she could, draping it over the table to let it dry. The smell of rain was thick with the bitterness of overturned dirt. It reminded Yumi of working in her garden, that familiar smell deep into her skin by the time she had finished work for the day. She smiled, then sneezed out of her daydream. Right. Still stuck inside this shrine until the storm passes. And while the bamboo screens did a surprisingly good job of keeping the air out, there was no way for Yumi to chase away the chill - no candle, no fire, no dry cloak.

Yumi sighed and cleared away a patch of dust with her heel. She shivered as the cold wood floor cut through her damp skirt. Maybe she should have used a cushion. But she would feel bad if she had gotten something like that wet and it was probably even dustier than the rest of this place. Yumi unlatched her satchel and took out the (thankfully) dry bundle of cloth she had taken the piece of cheese from. Inside was what was left of the cheese, a half of a sandwich, two stuffed pastries, and a vial of honey. Leaving the satchel by her shoes, she took her staff and leaned the end against the table, letting the stone set within the wood illuminate the room in a warm, twilight glow. The same familiar comfort from earlier came back to her, eating while surrounded by the sounds of rain and the smell of nature kept her mind off her own shivering. It was as if she had returned early from her travels to her hometown, welcomed with open arms by her garden and the embrace of her prized flowers.

It was then that she heard the whisper. Quiet, at first, indistinguishable from the wind that rattled the bamboo screens and shook the rain from the leaves. But then it grew, like the wind had broken into the shrine and carried with it a voice. Yumi stood, placing her food on the ground before taking up her staff. While offensive magic had never been her specialty, Yumi wasn’t so naive that she went out on her own without a way to defend herself. She took a half-step backwards, ready to open the door and dive out if needed, when the bells began.

And these weren’t the small bells you gave out to children for the Winter Solstice, nor were they the deep, regal bell that signaled each passing hour. It was as if tens of hollow, echoing bells were ringing in time to a slow rhythm. Each kling and kong punctuated with the murmur… of what?

Yumi’s knees gave out from under her. The echo of the bells filled her thoughts until she couldn’t recall a single spell, let alone speak one aloud.

Then, it stopped.

There was a clunk. 

The crystal ball had fallen to the floor.

And sitting on the table was a girl surrounded by wil-o-wisps.

The small, blue flames reflected off her silver hair, illuminating her face. Her grey eyes were bordered with bright, red makeup that forced your gaze to linger on her own. Yumi recognized her style of dress, but aside from all that, the girl had both the ears and tail of a fox.

“Oho? Who do we have here?” The fox girl leaned forward, the bell on her collar jingling with a familiar kling-kong. “It’s been ages since I’ve seen anyone ‘side the old folks in the village.”

Yumi pointed her staff forward, her hands shaking, “I’m not afraid of you.”

“Whoever said anything ‘bout bein’ afraid? I’m just trying to play host, y’know.”

“Still... Don’t think you can trick me,” Yumi said. Then summoned a small orb of water within the circle of her staff. A comically childish show of offensive magic, even by her standards.

The fox gave a low whistle, “Cute. But let’s not be so quick to fight, yeah? After all, you left that sweet piece of cheese. I like onigiri, sure, but how many onigiri can a girl eat in a lifetime before she gets sick of it?”

“Is that a thank you?” Yumi asked.

“Depends on whether you’re going to keep aiming that waterball at me.”

The fox leaned forward, the corners of her mouth curling into a mischievous smile. Her eyes stared steadily at Yumi, somewhere between an animal sizing up its prey and a child looking for a suitable plaything. Curious. Yumi laid her staff down on the floor, her fingers still resting on the base. Just in case.

“Do you mind telling me your name, half-elf?” The fox asked.

“How do you know I’m a half-elf? My ears always make people think I’m a full elf.” Yumi slid her other hand towards the door, her fingers hooked over the edge of the latch.

“Name first.”

Yumi tightened her jaw and kept her gaze even.

“You half-elves sure are a suspicious lot,” the fox sighed, crossing her legs and leaning backwards like a bored student, “Fine, fine. I know because I can smell it. Spiritual aura and all that. Comes free with the ‘fox-spirit’ thing. And, just to cover all my bases, I’m not too interested in spiriting people away. That’s for my, ahem, colleague’s interest. All for fun though!”

“You,” Yumi stopped, her words taking the air from her lungs. She looked at her staff, tracing the fine grooves of the wood with her fingers. Deep breaths. “You give your name first.”

“Syuko. Nothin’ more. Nothin’ less.”

“Syuko is… A nice name,” Yumi said, “I’m Yumi.”

“Keeping it casual, huh? I don’t dislike that,” Syuko said, her smile unwavering, “Now Yumi-han, what’re you doin’ in my lil’ ol’ temple?”

“I got caught in the rain. I-I’m glad you enjoyed the offering and I deeply apologize if I intruded on your privacy.”

“Well, well, no need to get so formal,” Syuko fell backwards, letting go of the table and floating into the air until she was framed in front of the statue, grey eyes flicking to red in the dim light leaking in from the sliding doors, “I don’t like to play manners.”

Okay, well, things just got worse. No one told Yumi fox spirits could fly.

What Yumi had wanted to do was grab her staff and create a wind-shield while simultaneously opening the door and making a hasty, but impressive, get-away. What actually happened was that she had opened the door too early and, in her haste, summoned a wind-pulse instead of a shield. Essentially, she had cannonballed herself out of the shrine, down the stone stairs, and face-first into an awaiting pile of mud.

And all she could hear, much louder than the wind or the rain, was the ring of Syuko laughing.

Yumi felt the back of her head and winced when she grazed over a bump. No doubt a result of her ungraceful descent. Her skirt had hitched up and one knee was scraped from where it must have also hit the steps. She stood, but fell back when her skirt caught under her foot. It was only then that Yumi remembered she had taken her shoes off. She wiggled her toes and felt the mud that had leaked into her socks.

“Wow, oh wow,” Syuko hovered at the doorway, “Y’know, if you wanted to leave you could have just asked.” Syuko clapped her hands and one of the will-o-wisps turned into an umbrella. She jumped down from the shrine with an outstretched hand, “Need some help?”

Beggars can’t be choosers. Yumi took Syuko’s hand, giving a little gasp when their skin touched. Syuko’s hand was warm. Much warmer than Yumi had expected. While she shivered back up the steps, only her hand felt like it was sun-bathing out in the garden or buried deep in fresh earth. Yumi kept her arm outstretched, forcing distance between them, but wondered if fox spirits were naturally like this. Perhaps it was because of those will-o-wisps?

“I believe the humans set up a bath in the back for situations like this,” Syuko said. She walked Yumi to the back of the shrine and slid open what Yumi had assumed to be a wall. It opened out to an expansive back room a level below the shrine itself. The air was thick with the smell of moss and stagnant water. Yumi shivered and Syuko led her down another set of stone stairs, into a silent darkness.

A single bell rung. 

As if on cue, the room lit up. A fire was roaring in a pit that had been dug into the center of the floor. In the far corner was a wood tub enveloped by will-o-wisps; unburnt. Syuko let go of Yumi’s hand and sighed. From between her pouting lips was a will-o-wisp, small enough to fit on her palm. “Give me your hand.”

Yumi lifted her palm up. Syuko blew the blue flame from her hand onto Yumi’s. It didn’t burn, but seeped into her skin with the same, familiar warmth of Syuko’s hand. The sensation spread from the tips of her fingers into her core, warming her from the inside out. Syuko smiled, clearly proud of herself, and floated back on her tail.

“Th-Thank you,” Yumi said, “I didn’t expect you to be so -” 

“Nice?”

Yumi gave a shallow nod.

Syuko laughed, “I’m only nice to people I like. And a person that leaves me tasty snacks is a friend of mine. Now, let’s get that mud off of ya.”

“So I was right, the will-o-wisps are heating up a bath,” Yumi walked towards the tub, “This amount of magical skill is amazing. You’d normally need to train for decades to achieve this.”

“Oho? Is it that big of a deal?” Syuko waved her hand, dismissing the flames, “Looks like it’s nice and warm now. Go ahead and hop in.”

“Eh?” Yumi blinked, “Right here? Right now?”

“You’re sopping wet and covered in mud. Don’t see a better time to get into a comfy bath!”

Were all fox spirits this relaxed? Yumi stood fiddling with her fingers, all too aware of the cold crawling back underneath her skin. She looked at Syuko and said, “Can you please turn around while I get changed? A-And maybe stand somewhere else?”

“Huh?” Syuko blinked. “Oh! Oh, oh, okay I get it now. No biggie, I’ll go dry your cloak or something. You just get comfy in there, alright?”

Syuko floated through the door, her ears flicking back and forth. Yumi waited until Syuko closed the door behind her and breathed a sigh of relief. It felt good to peel off her wet, mud-stained clothes. Yumi left them in a pile by the tub and used her staff to lift some of the hot water out of the tub and over her skin. The heat stung at first, but she needed to get all the mud off. After repeating the process, Yumi lifted herself into the tub and let the hot water ease out the tension that had built tightly into her muscles. She bent her leg, careful to keep her scraped knee out of the water. There should be a salve in her bag perfect for little injuries like this. She’d have to remember to ask Syuko to bring it to her soon.

Alone, Yumi could hear the regular pitter-patter of the rain and the faint ring of Syuko’s bell. She closed her eyes. This bath would be better if there were some violets in it, or maybe even rose petals. Oh, and there was that honey-lemon lotion she had made the other day! Yumi checked her hands and traced the dry lines around her palm. Hopefully Syuko hadn’t noticed just how dry her hands had been. Days of travelling and time spent in a garden meant that Yumi wasn’t able to put in as much time to personal maintenance as she liked. But she also took great pride in her ability to grow nearly anything, never afraid to get her hands dirty.

There was a knock at the door and in a panic, Yumi dunked her knee in the water. She winced and quickly pulled it out, massaging the tender, red skin. A thin layer of scabbing was already starting to form.

“Hello? Yumi-han? Your cloak’s all dry. I can send in some more flames if you’re cold or, like, they can help you dry off. I promise I won’t look! Fox’s word!”

Who would ever trust the promise of a fox-spirit? “I think I’m fine. Though, my clothes are still dirty.”

“Just dunk your clothes in the water when you’re done and I’ll get ‘em dry real quick.”

Yumi eyed the fire. On one hand, she was confident that she could use her magic to harness the heat of the fire or some wind and dry herself off. But her clothes would be a different story. Properly controlling heat to not singe material like cloth or wood was far more advanced than her own rudimentary knowledge of fire magic. She could already feel the water cooling to room temperature. “Can you wait a minute?”

It was quiet for a beat, then Syuko said, “I can.”

Yumi got out of the tub, grabbing her staff and calling forth a brisk breeze over the fire. Just as she expected, the flame was a will-o-wisp. Instead of going out, it heated the breeze enough to dry herself off. Yumi bounded towards the door, opening it just enough to fit her arm through.

“Can I have my cloak?” 

Syuko, true to her word, had enlarged her tail and was using it to cover her eyes. In one hand she held Yumi’s cloak and in the other, what was left of her lunch. Syuko licked a crumb at the corner of her mouth, “Whoops.”

Yumi took her cloak and shut the door. Never trust fox-spirits. She wrapped herself in the cloak, letting the warm air circulate around the room. Using the end of her staff, she hoisted the pile of dirty clothes into the water. She scrubbed the caked on mud off of her shirt and skirt using the side of the tub as a washboard. It was impossible to get out the stains, but this was the best she could do until she reached a proper inn. Maybe Syuko could lend her one of those will-o-wisp umbrellas. Or could only fox-spirits use those? Yumi set her staff back against the wall and made sure her cloak wasn’t showing any extra skin. Thankfully, it went all the way down to her knees and as long as she held it shut, she should be able to wait until her clothes were dry.

“Okay Syuko, you can come in,” Yumi said. She stood by the fire, watching the flames jump and letting it warm her toes. 

The door slid open and Syuko floated in. “Was the bath nice?”

Yumi nodded.

“Good,” Syuko stood by the tub and leaned against the wood, “I know you like me, but I don’t know if our relationship is at the level where I can touch your undies yet.”

“S-Sorry!” Yumi ran over, fishing her clothes out of the murky water with one hand and keeping her cloak in place with the other. Syuko laughed and took them from her. With a flash, Yumi’s clothes were engulfed in flames. Before she could protest, however, it subsided and they were left in Syuko’s arms completely dry. “How did you-”

“Fox spirit magic,” Syuko returned the clothes, “I thought we went over this. Now, I’ll turn around so you can get changed.” She twirled on her heel, her tail flicking back and forth obviously curious.

Yumi kept her cloak on, turning so her back was facing Syuko’s. She changed as quickly as she could, shivering against the warmth of her clothes. Again, she felt like she had just been out sunbathing on a summer afternoon. She could almost smell the flowers and fresh grass still clinging to the fabric from yesterday’s work digging up the herbs she had been out to deliver in the first place.

“You can turn around now,” Yumi said, careful to avoid the mud she had tracked in earlier as she made her way towards the stairs. 

“Let me help you up,” Syuko said. A hand rested on Yumi’s shoulder and she felt her feet raise off the ground. It’s hard to describe exactly how you feel when you’re floating, but it can be summed up as: freaky. Yumi gasped and grabbed Syuko’s arm, pulling them together. Syuko laughed and moved her hand to Yumi’s waist. “First time using levitation magic? I thought elves were supposed to be good at this kind of stuff?”

“I specialize in plant magic,” Yumi said, “I only know the basics of how other elements work. Oh gods, I’m not going to fall, right? You wouldn’t let that happen, right?”

“‘Course not. You can trust me,” Syuko said. And this time, Yumi thought to believe her.

It took less than a minute for Syuko to bring Yumi back to the front room of the shrine. After setting Yumi back on the ground (which was very strange after floating), Syuko went back and retrieved Yumi’s staff. And just as Syuko said, the rain had all but ceased, leaving uneven streaks of sunlight to fade through the bamboo walls. The air was thick with the smell of damp earth and wood. Syuko opened the front door of the shrine, letting in the sunlight. Yumi sat on the tatami floor and took a deep breath.

“This is nice,” Yumi said, “If only someone hadn’t eaten my lunch.”

“Aha, my bad,” Syuko gave a lop-sided smile and sat next to Yumi, “How about I take you into town and treat ya?”

“What kind of trick are you planning?”

“No trick! Well, maybe a little one. Just to make myself look human.”

Yumi played with the hem of her skirt, “Maybe… You did take my lunch. But wouldn’t you be using the coins offered to you? Some of that is my money, you know…”

“I’ll just make sure not to use your offering. Deal?” Syuko offered her hand.

“Deal.” They shook hands and Syuko jumped up, a pair of red geta appearing on her feet. Yumi crouched by her booths and laced them on, surprised to find that they were dry. She smiled and looked at Syuko, who was teetering at the end of the top step. Yumi stood, reattached her satchel, and took her staff, tamping it on the tatami floor to shake off any water that might have gotten on it during her bath. “Okay, I’m ready.”

Syuko turned and, in a flash, her ears and tail disappeared. Her gaudy outfit was replaced by a simple blue kimono and the bell around her neck hung at the end of a string braided into her hair. It wasn’t until she stepped into the sunlight that Yumi noticed just how pale she was. Syuko’s veins stood out against her skin like the roots of an old tree. Yumi walked forwards, resting her fingers at the edge of Syuko’s neck, where it met the fabric of the kimono’s collar.

“I didn’t take you for the bold type, Yumi-han,” Syuko said, her cheeks flushed a soft pink that crept down to where Yumi’s thumb grazed her chin, “Though, I don’t dislike it.”

Yumi pulled her hand back with a gasp. She jumped down from the shrine, letting the mud splash onto her already soiled skirt and began to walk as fast as she was talking. “Sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean -- Wh-Why don’t we start heading into town?”

From behind, Yumi could hear the soft squish of Syuko’s getas in the mud and the echo of her laugh. Yumi blushed and tucked a strand of hair away from her face. As the clouds drifted off, sunlight began to envelope the scenery around them. The mud path towards the shrine soon met the main road, where wagons and carts that had been delayed were already moving, eager to make up for lost time. Syuko easily matched Yumi’s walking speed and the two of them kept to the edge of the path, a safe distance from any vehicles.

A comfortable silence hung between them. The birds had begun to emerge and the air lulled with their calls and a gentle breeze had picked up. Yumi stopped and crouched by a bush where hydrangeas had freshly bloomed. Their petals, still wet from the rain, each turned down into a soft curve where the droplets of rain pulled away from the center of the flower. With a twist of her fingers, Yumi reached into the bush and found the end of a sizable branch. From her belt she took a pair of short shears and deftly snipped it clean. She carried it, the flowers carefully in her palm, and returned to Syuko who had stopped a few yards from where the bush was.

“I thought you’d be the type of person who hates seeing people take flowers,” Syuko said.

“When people do it irresponsibly,” Yumi said, taking a cloth pouch from her satchel and covering the severed end of the branch, “But even flower petals have a variety of practical uses, too. They can be seeped into tea or crushed into dye or just thrown in a bath to add a calming aroma. Branches, root, bark -- they all serve their own functions. I can’t fault people for enjoying nature’s harvest how they wish.”

“Spoken like a true herbalist. What are you going to use that for?”

Yumi’s eyes lit up. “Well, the branch is useful for its bark. Though I would have liked to get the root, since that can be used for medicine, I didn’t want to disturb it. I’m thinking of scraping and drying the bark and giving it to people to chew or hold while being treated for their ailments. You’d be surprised how many clinics need things like that. And I think the petals would be just so pretty in a bath, don’t you think?”

“The blue is a nice color,” Syuko said, “What things can the roots be used for?”

“Well…” Yumi continued, talking about how people have used hydrangeas and once when she just could not get one to grow until she gathered fresh manure from the farmer down the hill from her cottage. Syuko listened closely, laughing at the right parts of the story but never interrupting. All with that little smile on her face.

It wasn’t until they had reached the gates of the town that Yumi stopped her lecture. “Oh, here we are,” she said, almost bashfully, “Apologies, I-I didn’t realize I’d been talking for that long.”

Syuko shook her head and said, “It’s fine. I liked listening. It’s not often that I get a chance to leave that stuffy ol’ shrine and even rarer to learn something new. I usually only leave ‘cause I get bored.”

“Oh,” Yumi pulled at the collar of her shawl, “I hope I’m not too much of a bore.”

“Didn’t you just hear me? I said I liked it,” Syuko skipped forward a step, turning to come face to face with Yumi, “If I was bored I would have ran off a long time ago. Maybe I’d be wreaking chaos on the town. Tripping men whose hands are full and stealing food from their larders.”

“Well that won’t do! Then, how about I talk about your favorite flower next?” Yumi said, showing the guard at the gate a paper carefully stamped with a wax seal.

Syuko waved and the guard raised his hand in return, letting them both in. “I don’t know if I have a favorite flower, but I guess I like wisteria and cherry blossoms.”

“Oh! Those are such lovely flowers! The interesting thing about wisteria is…”

Throughout their lunch, Yumi and Syuko talked about everything from flowers to the forest to the things that went to making the food in front of them. Afterwards, Syuko accompanied Yumi on her deliveries around the town. It seemed that whether you had a sore throat or an achy back, Yumi had something to deal with anything that was minor enough to avoid a trip to the clinic. It was well into the late afternoon by the time they checked Yumi into an inn for the night. They sat together at the inn’s tavern, each enjoying their own drink.

“Yumi-han, are you alright?”

“Huh?” Yumi turned her cup of warm apple cider in her hands, “What do you mean?”

“Near the end of your deliveries, you looked like your leg was giving you a little trouble,” Syuko said. She sipped her tea, keeping her eyes averted like she had made an off-handed remark.

Yumi had nearly forgotten her earlier fall down the stone steps. While it was true that the scrape on her knee had been a dull pain since, she thought that it had been unnoticable. She took a drink and looked at her boots, “You noticed? It’s not an issue, I’ll just take care of it in my room tonight.”

“Hm,” Syuko hummed flatly. 

Yumi looked up and said, “Thank you, by the way. For today.”

“I should be sayin’ that to you,'' Syuko's lips curled back into her signature smile, “I haven’t had this much fun since my buddy last visited and we got some rowdy men stuck in the woods. Man, that sure sobered them up!”

Yumi tightened her grip on her cup. Syuko sat, waiting, and took a drink.

Their conversation lulled. Syuko kept moving her eyes from Yumi to the innkeep and wherever else they wandered. It was long after Yumi’s cider had cooled and the sky had turned to twilight that they both got up. They walked towards the town gate together, the sound of crickets mingling with the distant flutter of birds returning to their nests for the night. The guard from earlier had gone, replaced with a young sentry who tipped his hat at the pair. Yumi sighed, her breath forming into a puff of air.

“Well,” Syuko said, “This is it, I guess.” In the moonlight, her silver hair shone against her skin, giving her an eerie glow. “I had fun today, Yumi-han. I hope I can see you again.”

“I do too,” Yumi said, “I’ll try to visit when I come here again.”

Syuko smiled, softer. Her eyes folding into half-crescents, her eyes swallowed by the darkness of her irises, “I’d like that. Bye-bye, Yumi-han.”

“Goodbye, Syuko.” But even as Yumi said this, her hand had reflexively grabbed Syuko’s wrist. The warmth of their skin touching a familiar comfort.

“Yumi-han, I can’t go nowhere if you keep clinging to me like that,” Syuko said with a dry laugh, “Unless you want to come back with me? Did I really charm you that much?”

“Maybe you did,” Yumi said, walking forward until she was side by side with Syuko, “Would you dislike me if I asked to spend the night?”

“I can’t promise an old shrine would be the most comfortable place to sleep. Are you sure you don’t want a real bed in the inn?”

Yumi nodded.

“Okay,” Syuko dipped her voice into just above a whisper, “I think I’d like that too.”

“I’ll go talk to the inn-owner,” Yumi said, “Will you come with me?”

“Of course.”

Syuko offered her hand and Yumi took it. In the quiet chill of the night, with their palms pressed against each other, Yumi looked up at the stars in the sky and thought about how soon she could find a reason to return.

**Author's Note:**

> this isn't super obviously yuri but that's fine, right? it ended up getting a little out of hand in terms of scope so i had to end it before i wrote too much even tho i wanted to include things like yumi cuddling syuko's tail and playing with her ears and syuko turning into her fox form... but oh well lol
> 
> thanks for reading and check me out on twitter! (my @ is the same as my username here)


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